New lows in patient behavior

[scograd]

So this week has been fun!

Monday night- had a walk-in who wanted to order contact lenses. Her outside Rx was for Acuvue Oasys, but she wanted Freshlook Colors. We told her we could only order what was on the Rx, we cannot substitute. Long story short, she was practically in tears, and decided to have a full exam just so she could get her color contacts.

From the second I walked into the exam room, she was difficult, complaining that she should be able to get what she wanted because of course "she's been wearing contact lenses for 20 years, and she knows more than anyone trained in the eye and contact lenses could".

I'm as sweet as pie, and just try and keep plugging along. I get to the ocular and medical history part, and she tells me, "you don't need to ask me those questions, I'm just here for contacts". I had to stop, look her dead in the eye and tell her "these questions are necessary for me to do a comprehensive exam, if you don't answer willingly and truthfully I will end the exam now." That shut her up for a bit!!:finger:

Then, today, I had a 17 year old patient who I've seen several times try and listen to his iPod thru the entire exam. And the earbuds weren't in his ears, it was on full volume just like a regular radio!! I don't know why I didn't just walk out of that exam!!!:hammer:

Come on, you know you guys have fun stories like these!!

[HarryChiling]

So this week has been fun!

Monday night- had a walk-in who wanted to order contact lenses. Her outside Rx was for Acuvue Oasys, but she wanted Freshlook Colors. We told her we could only order what was on the Rx, we cannot substitute. Long story short, she was practically in tears, and decided to have a full exam just so she could get her color contacts.

From the second I walked into the exam room, she was difficult, complaining that she should be able to get what she wanted because of course "she's been wearing contact lenses for 20 years, and she knows more than anyone trained in the eye and contact lenses could".

I'm as sweet as pie, and just try and keep plugging along. I get to the ocular and medical history part, and she tells me, "you don't need to ask me those questions, I'm just here for contacts". I had to stop, look her dead in the eye and tell her "these questions are necessary for me to do a comprehensive exam, if you don't answer willingly and truthfully I will end the exam now." That shut her up for a bit!!:finger:

Then, today, I had a 17 year old patient who I've seen several times try and listen to his iPod thru the entire exam. And the earbuds weren't in his ears, it was on full volume just like a regular radio!! I don't know why I didn't just walk out of that exam!!!:hammer:

Come on, you know you guys have fun stories like these!!

Stories like those, I was that guy. How'd you like my music? :D

Sorry to hear about your bad patients interactions, you know they say it comes in 3's, so the next ones gonna be a doozy.

[AdmiralKnight]

Wait, I'm confused. You can't take an outside Rx and (after doing a fitting) order any contact you want? Why the heck not?

[sharonm516]

It could have been possible to call the prescribing doc and ask for the ok for acuvue colors or the ok for Freshlooks.
(Freshlooks are uncomfortable...hate em...dont like to give em to people)

[Ory]

Wait, I'm confused. You can't take an outside Rx and (after doing a fitting) order any contact you want? Why the heck not?

Many ODs in the US won't take an outside CLRx period. Believe it or not, but the last optometrist involved in the patient's care is liable for the patient's health, regardless of the fact that said optometrist was simply acting as a retailer. The same is not true of opticians in the US, they carry no liability for health when a walk-in CLRx is given to them.

With these standards, I have to say I wouldn't even consider filling an outside CLRx without doing a comprehensive exam.

[AdmiralKnight]

Wow. No, fully agreed. I had no idea.

[charan]

So this week has been fun!

Monday night- had a walk-in who wanted to order contact lenses. Her outside Rx was for Acuvue Oasys, but she wanted Freshlook Colors. We told her we could only order what was on the Rx, we cannot substitute. Long story short, she was practically in tears, and decided to have a full exam just so she could get her color contacts.

From the second I walked into the exam room, she was difficult, complaining that she should be able to get what she wanted because of course "she's been wearing contact lenses for 20 years, and she knows more than anyone trained in the eye and contact lenses could".

I'm as sweet as pie, and just try and keep plugging along. I get to the ocular and medical history part, and she tells me, "you don't need to ask me those questions, I'm just here for contacts". I had to stop, look her dead in the eye and tell her "these questions are necessary for me to do a comprehensive exam, if you don't answer willingly and truthfully I will end the exam now." That shut her up for a bit!!:finger:

Then, today, I had a 17 year old patient who I've seen several times try and listen to his iPod thru the entire exam. And the earbuds weren't in his ears, it was on full volume just like a regular radio!! I don't know why I didn't just walk out of that exam!!!:hammer:

Come on, you know you guys have fun stories like these!!

i had one girl around 14-17 yrs of age came around the counter started going through my contact lens stock I told I'd be able to help her she didnt' listen to me I asked her 3 times not go through my stock area where customers are not allowed she ignored me, i could'nt take it I asked her if she was high, then she swore at me I had to ask her to leave then before she walked out she dropped a couple of my frames on the floor I was dumb founded I was nice her from the start i dont know what she was thinking?

[chip anderson]

Sounds like she was a determined thief on crack.

[scriptfiller]

We had a pat. order a pizza in the exam room once.

[harry a saake]

We had a lady come in for a refraction once, and as soon as she sat in the chair she started whistling songs, would not stop

[harry a saake]

heres another one i have had several times, patient sits in the chair, and as you are trying to do a refraction, they are chewing gum

[Shwing]

My MD will boot a patient, no problem.

Gone, don't come back. It is very refreshing.

Just this week, I had an RN who wouldn't let me put the gtts in for the AT or the mydriacyl...

Had to do it herself...

Then complained that we don't have single-use gtts.

Gave her a full exam and said don't come back.

WHO IS IN CHARGE???

[THE MEB]

our OD once did an eye exam for a patient who had a sick parrot on her shoulders during the whole comprehensive evaluation.

[Ory]

our OD once did an eye exam for a patient who had a sick parrot on her shoulders during the whole comprehensive evaluation.

He was just pining for the fjords!

[Pogu]

We had a man come in the other day that was apparently homeless, judging by his huge collection of stuff tied to his bicycle and the atrocious smell of feces and urine. The doc sucked it up (held his breath more likely) and did the exam, what a trooper. Luckily it turned out the guy had the money for the exam and a pair of Flexons w/ progressives.
The strangest thing to me; how does a guy who doesn't have the presence of mind to manage his bodily functions put priority on vision?

[shelleygirl]

We had a couple come in they walked, no car or anything which was a little strange. Once they came in we noticed they had piles of clothes on and it wasn't cold outside. They hadn't bathed in weeks and brought in two pair of glasses that looked like they've been in a war. They tossed them on the counter and said "We want a refund, we dont like these glasses and never wear them." We DO NOT do refunds so I smiled and said well let's look at your records and see what is going on. The glasses were 3 years old and I told them we do not give refunds but if you would of come in before the 1 year warranty I could replace them. They thought we would just hand them over money I guess. They left saying they would never come back. Thank goodness!!!! lol

[chip anderson]

We have an number of "intellectuals" that ride bicycles here in the Summer, mostly college instructors, profs and the like. A few students that got too many DUI's.
Well here in the Summer it's HOT, it's Humid.
They all smell like they have been riding bicycles. No wonder they use so much perfume (I'm talking men here) in Europe.

Chip

[Crazy-bout-Optics]

Was working with a patient. I thought he smelled a little bit of alcohol, it was faint, but I thought I smelled it. I thought to myself, ok I don't want to judge, maybe its just my imagination. Half way through I put his glasses on to measure his Pal height. He puts his hand up to stop me and says "Hold on Son I gotta take care of something" I'm thinking he has to use the bathroom, so I sit back in my chair and say "Sure, no problem" . . . . .










He opens his jacket, takes out a flask and has a little nip. He then leans back over the desk and says "Ok, I'm ready" LOL

Luckily in 7 years thats really the strangest thing thats happened to me.

Cheers . . Literally! :cheers:

[chip anderson]

Crazy:

Many years ago I used to fit aphakic VA patients with rigid lense. They would go out to the car and nip so much, they were too stoned to remember anything when it came time to teach them insertion and removal.

Chip

[KStraker]

Is that all y'all have? Last Friday a lady called to inquire about the cost of an exam. I told her the exam cost. Then she asks me, "is there any hidden cost, like contact lens fitting". I told her that there is no "hidden cost" and that if she wanted an rx for contacts that she would be receiving a cl exam and evaluation which is more extensive than the regular eye-health, glasses portion of the exam. She said she didn't need to be fitted since she already had an rx for cl's. I had to reiterate several times that if she were to get cl's from us she would be getting a fresh fit. (since we are liable for the health of her eyes)

We have people that are drunk and/or high all the time. We had one girl who never had an rx. She came for an exam and was given a mild hyperopic rx. She became agitated and caused a small scene at the checkout area. She said she was a stripper and couldn't wear glasses on the runway. The doctor relented and fit her with cl's. A week later she comes for her follow up appt. She always schedules early in the morning and seems to come straight from work. She comes to check in and then plops a squat right there on the tile floor in the middle of the check in area. She looked like she was about to use the bathroom. She was squatted down on the tile fully clothed, looking at the floor like it was tranlucent and had some fish below the surface or something. Her pupils were like pin points and she was oblivious to her surroudings. Definitely high on meth or something.
On another occasion an older lady comes in for an exam. She lists several antianxiety drugs (xanax, Klonopin, etc) on the exam sheet. She also reeks of liquor and is behaving strangely. The doctor struggles through the exam and the lady picks out glasses. She makes a down payment and then walks for the door. As she reached for the door she almost fell on the floor. She procedes to go out and get in her car. I didn't know what to do, so we called the police. Cops come and don't do a thing. They let the lady drive home even though she was unsteady, reeked of liquor, and was combining it with narcotics. She came back the next day and demanded her money back. She said that she had not been drinking on the previous day and was angry that we called the cops. At this point she again smelled strongly of liquor. I answered, "I'm not stupid, you were drinking yesterday and you have been drinking today also." Patient continued to deny drinking on either day. I continued to point out that I could smell it on her right now. We get people all the time who absolutely reek of liquor and it's only 9:00 in the morning.

[peregrinerose]

Well, a week ago, I called the cops and filed a child abuse complaint against a woman... she threw her 3yo grandson against a wall, kept twisting the arms of and lifting the 2 younger grandkids that way, screamed at them and threatened them the entire exam... and all three kids were dead silent the entire hour they were here... well behaved, never made a sound, moved nothing. Their mother just sat and watched everything, never said a word.

A month ago, I had a guy wearing baby blue yearly lenses as extended wear for 3 years non stop, threw a **** fit when I refused to put him in contacts again due to corneal neovascularization and edema, complained to everyone from Walmart Vision Center manager to Walmart central office, Davis Vision rep had the nerve to call and try to get me to put him back in the same lenses he had been wearing, he even had his boyfriend call and ream out the doc I work for bashing me for incompetence (I drive an hour and a half two days a week to work in this location for reasons like this... the doc has my back no matter what BS patients throw at her).

I did a home visit for a quadriplegic teenager, taught everyone in his family how to insert/remove contact lenses, spent about 2 hours at his home for the evaluation (all for about $50 because I felt sorry for him). I had to reschedule the follow up appointment, and when I called to confirm the moved time the day before the appointment, his mother reamed me out for being horrible, selfish, a liar, how dare I put my schedule before her homebound son's, etc. This was when I filled in at a different WM, she called the doc I worked for there and bashed me... he actually took her side (even though the visit had nothing to do with WM) and tacitly threatened to fire me over it. I quit a few months later... as soon as I had new work.

I had a patient ask to have sex with me, when I refused on the grounds I was happily married, he invited my husband to be included in a threesome.

Had to call the cops on another patient who twice tried to pin me against my desk in the exam room and French kiss me during the exam. Oh, he was 75 and his wife was sitting right outside the room.

I have lots of stories :D I'm an adventure magnet.

[HarryChiling]

Well, a week ago, I called the cops and filed a child abuse complaint against a woman... she threw her 3yo grandson against a wall, kept twisting the arms of and lifting the 2 younger grandkids that way, screamed at them and threatened them the entire exam... and all three kids were dead silent the entire hour they were here... well behaved, never made a sound, moved nothing. Their mother just sat and watched everything, never said a word.

A month ago, I had a guy wearing baby blue yearly lenses as extended wear for 3 years non stop, threw a **** fit when I refused to put him in contacts again due to corneal neovascularization and edema, complained to everyone from Walmart Vision Center manager to Walmart central office, Davis Vision rep had the nerve to call and try to get me to put him back in the same lenses he had been wearing, he even had his boyfriend call and ream out the doc I work for bashing me for incompetence (I drive an hour and a half two days a week to work in this location for reasons like this... the doc has my back no matter what BS patients throw at her).

I did a home visit for a quadriplegic teenager, taught everyone in his family how to insert/remove contact lenses, spent about 2 hours at his home for the evaluation (all for about $50 because I felt sorry for him). I had to reschedule the follow up appointment, and when I called to confirm the moved time the day before the appointment, his mother reamed me out for being horrible, selfish, a liar, how dare I put my schedule before her homebound son's, etc. This was when I filled in at a different WM, she called the doc I worked for there and bashed me... he actually took her side (even though the visit had nothing to do with WM) and tacitly threatened to fire me over it. I quit a few months later... as soon as I had new work.

I had a patient ask to have sex with me, when I refused on the grounds I was happily married, he invited my husband to be included in a threesome.

Had to call the cops on another patient who twice tried to pin me against my desk in the exam room and French kiss me during the exam. Oh, he was 75 and his wife was sitting right outside the room.

I have lots of stories :D I'm an adventure magnet.

Holy crap let's make an award and give it to you.

[peregrinerose]

I don't need an award, having craploads of cool stories like this makes being an adventure magnet fun :) If I didn't have a sense of humor, it might be a problem. Well, there was no humor in the child abuse story, that just pi$$ed me off (we are adopting a 15 year old boy out of the foster system, so it really hit home with me!!). At least maybe I made a difference for the kids. I hope.

[chip anderson]

Too bad you don't live in the South, where "He needed Killin' " is a good defense.

Chip:drop:

[Dave Nelson]

Once had a mother and teenage daughter get into a slap-fest in the office. They stood slapping each other silly, and they were the most attractive mother/daughter pair I ever saw, and were visiting fro0m England. We had to ask them to leave, and while we did that, the daughter gave her mother a kick.